Feb. 23, 2010 -- USF was among 13 institutions funded when The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) announced $2.8 million in awards earlier this month for new projects to speed the discovery of biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease.

Chuanchai Cao, PhD, assistant professor of molecular pharmacology and physiology, received a $225,500 grant from the MJFF to investigate a change in some surface receptors on T-cells that may be specific to Parkinson’s disease. T cells are a type of immune cell. Dr. Cao is collaborating with USF neurologists Theresa Zesiewicz, MD, and Juan Sanchez-Ramos, PhD, MD, who will evaluate patients for the study at the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center on the USF North campus. Blood samples from eligible patients volunteering for the study will be analyzed for the biomarker by Dr. Cao.

“Our goal ultimate goal is to identify the specific T-cell receptor gene sequence related to Parkinson’s disease and find a way to change it back to its normal profile,” Dr. Cao said.

Chuanhai Cao, PhD

The lack of clear and reliable biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease is one of the greatest hurdles to developing and testing new treatments that may slow, stop or even prevent the disease. In addition to improving the ability of researchers to diagnose Parkinson’s and measure its progression, the identification of biomarkers would also help clinicians to more accurately identify appropriate subjects for clinical studies and better monitor treatment effects in clinical trials.

Cornell University, the University of Ottawa, Imperial College London, Harvard Medical School, Northwestern University and the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders were among the other institutions funded by MJJF, through the support of The Brin Wojcicki Foundation.